One Chance
by BloodFromTheThorn
Summary: Loki didn't know what he'd been expecting of Thor's Jane. The punch was definitely a surprise. Inspired by the official trailer for Thor 2.


_The Thor 2 trailer inspired this. IT LOOKS SO AMAZNG OH MY GOD WHY IS IT NOT NOVEMBER YET. _

_This is the scene when Jane punches Loki (in case it isn't obvious)._

* * *

Loki didn't really know what he'd been expecting when Thor had mentioned Jane would be coming with them, too distracted instead by the fact that his 'brother' would be so foolish. Dragging a mortal into battle? She was as good as dead, with or without Loki's help.

He had seen Jane before, through the Destroyer's eyes, but at the time he had been focussed on Thor and had barely even glanced in her direction. Up close like this he could take in her features clearly, read the many emotions flittering across her skin. Anger. Fear. Revulsion. And behind all that... curiosity? She was trying to read him just as much as he was trying to understand her, no matter how futile her efforts would prove - it would take something more than her to be able to comprehend something like him.

It was probably his distraction that allowed her the chance to land her punch. He felt instinctive magic swirl at the attack but he beat it down - it wouldn't do for Thor to kill him in revenge now - as his head snapped sideways, hair that had grown far too long flicking out behind him. For the tiniest of moments he froze in surprise before he kicked himself back into gear.

"That was for New York," Jane told him and there wasn't a hint of remorse in her voice, nevermind the fact that he was a god who had enough power in his little finger to wipe her off the face of the world. It was almost impressive.

He turned back to her with a smirk, feeling the smallest twinge in his jaw that was a testament to how much force that blow had carried. It took a lot to make him hurt. Her eyes blazed furiously, unrepentant and her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides. His eyes flicked to Thor.

"I like her," he said, not letting his smirk drop. Thor looked thoroughly stunned at the interaction, watching Jane with a bizarre combination of shock and amusement. Long gone were the days when he would actually worry about whether his 'little brother' was okay and swear vengeance on anyone that threatened to hurt him.

It was the glimmer in Thor's face that warned him, that briefest widening of his eyes, and Loki's hand was snapping out to catch Jane's wrist as she swung a second punch. He could feel the delicate bones of the joint, knew exactly where to put pressure to feel them shatter under his touch - he could remember the same thing being done to him, remembered how it felt. He looked back at the mortal.

"Nice try. One chance is all you get." Jane tried to pull her arm back but he held on, easily overcoming her strength.

And then Mjölnir was at his throat, crackling with power. "Let go of her Loki," Thor warned him, eyes dark as they stared him down.

"You should teach your pets not to bite," he remarked casually, despite the crackles that licked at his pale skin. Regardless, he relaxed his fingers and allowed the woman to pull out of his grasp, taking a measured step back with an elegance her gender always seemed to possess. For all his intimidation however, she didn't seem very afraid.

"You will show her some respect!" Thor was getting angry now, irritated in a way that only Loki could cause. As children, riling up his elder brother had been one of his favourite pastimes and he used his experience now as though it were a weapon - for it was. The only one he had left.

"Or what? You'll arrest me? Have peace brother. I value my life just enough not to cause her any serious harm." He watched Jane as he said that to measure her reaction; she barely twitched. He'd never admit it aloud but for once in his life, he thought that Thor might actually have made a half decent decision; this woman had the strength to stand at the Thunderer's side when so many others could not.

His brother didn't respond to the taunt, instead reaching for Jane and pulling her gently to his side to lead her away. He watched them go with vague amusement clouding his features.

Until a blade appeared at his throat that is. He flinched away from the steel - much to his dismay - though some tension left him when he recognised the sword (not too much though - of everyone involved in this, Sif was the most likely to stab him and leave him for dead).

"Is there a problem?" He forced his voice to sound perfectly civil.

"You _dare _attack her to get to him and I'll kill you," she threatened. He knew she meant every word.

"And here I thought you were jealous of her. After all, one little mortal and she was able to win Thor's affections within days when you failed for centuries." The blade dug into his skin just slightly, a warning.

"You will never understand loyalty." The slight tremor in her tone that anyone else would miss told him that he was spot on the mark.

"Perhaps not. I can see it in others however. You know, I thought your threat would be more creative. Kill me? Volstagg at least told me I would regret it first."

"You've not got enough heart to regret something," she spat at him. "The only thing you value is your life and so that is all I can take from you. Remember that."

He smiled then, wide and wicked, not relaxing as the sword was slowly pulled away again. Sif marched after Thor without sparing the trickster another glance, nose in the air as though he was beneath her notice. Well that was fine with him. He always worked best when people were ignoring him.

The smile didn't fade as he followed her. So, she thought that all he had was his life? Well, that was true he supposed, everything else he had once had was lost to him, probably forever. But where she was making a catastrophic mistake was in her own words: '_the only thing you value is your life._' That just wasn't true. Loki didn't value anything anymore except his magic and that couldn't be taken from him without killing him (Odin had tried before imprisoning him but had rapidly discovered that his 'son' could barely breathe without it).

She could use his death as a threat all she wanted, let herself feel as though she had power over him, but it would do her no good in the end. Once Malekith was dead, Loki would be forced back into his cell to remain there until Thor was in over his head again, only brought into the daylight when there was some mess to clear up, no better than a slave to the whims of his masters.

Value his life?

He had no life left to put value on.

* * *

_Yay. _

_I don't actually think Loki believes this. I think he's the kind of character that will survive no matter what and he will put his life over just about anything. But I thought this would be fun to write. So there you have it._


End file.
